Comparison of the hypocholesterolemic action of cholesterol oxidase and miscleron in an experiment on guinea pigs

Preparations of cholesterol oxidase, isolated from the myeelium of .Act. lavendulae [8], with specific activity 8-10 units per mg protein, were used in the work. The experiments were conducted on guinea pigs weighing 350-500 g. Hypercholesterol emia was induced by feeding the animals egg yolks (one yolk per animal per day). After 60-90 days of maintenance of the animals on a diet rich in cholesterol, the cholesterol concentration in the blood was determined by the method of [9]. Then the animals were divided into three groups, equivalent in blood cholesterol level. The animals of the first group received cholesterol oxidase intravenously in doses of 2.0 or 4.0 units/kg, the second received miscleron intramuscularly in a dose of 200 mg/kg, while the third group served as the control. Before the beginning of the administration of the investigated substances and at various periods after it, the content of nonesterified and total cholesterol was determined in the blood [10], and the lipoprotein composition of the blood serum was determined by the method of disc eleetrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel [11]. Densitograms were taken from the electrophoretogr ams on an IFO-451 recording microphotometer. The cholesterol content was expressed in milligram percent. The results were subjected to statistical treatment [12].